The Pros of Yoga, On & Off the Mat

Yoga is a wonderful way to keep your body in shape. It helps you increase flexibility, maintain a balanced metabolism, as well as strengthen and tone your muscles. When practiced regularly, yoga can also provide numerous health benefits not just physically but also mentally, both on and off the mat. Here are some health benefits to encourage you to roll out the mat and find your flow.

Say Ommmm!

One of the main tenets of yoga is finding inner awareness. This inner awareness helps people on an emotional and mental level by guiding individuals to focus on the present moment. Many people report feeling less stressed and relaxed after a yoga session, but it’s more than just a feeling. Studies have shown that women with a regular yoga practice have lower stress levels and recover from stress more quickly. It’s also been shown that regular yogis experience an improved brain connectivity that potentially leads to better pain tolerance and emotional regulation.

In short: yoga can help you find inner peace and a focus that can benefit you in handling day-to-day stress and anxiety, long after leaving the mat.

Get Better Sleep

Consistent yoga practice means lower stress levels and lower stress levels leads to better sleep. As many studies show, more sleep is beneficial to your overall wellbeing – for less stress, fewer accidents, and the opportunity for your body to restore heart and blood vessels.

Improve Blood Flow

Because yoga helps improve relaxation, your body benefits with improved circulation – especially in the hands and feet. With better circulation, your cells get more oxygen. Poses that involve twisting and handstands, encourages venous blood to flow back to the heart, giving your cells increased oxygen as well.

Boost Immunity

As yoga contracts and stretches muscles, the drainage of your lymphatic system is increased, which helps fight illness and rids your body of toxic waste.

Mindful Eating

Yoga helps you place better attention on the present moment. This awareness can also extend into mealtimes, where researchers have found it to help maintain or attain a healthier weight. Ideally, the more you practice yoga, the more you develop a stronger sense of how your body feels when you eat and are noting things like smell, taste, and feel. With this heightened awareness, you’ll pay more attention to your dining routine overall.

For those interested in starting yoga or for those that practice it already, dedicate some time on the mat and you’ll notice health benefits in every aspect of your life. From mat to heart to plate, yoga is a great option to stay happy and healthy – plus, the pants are pretty comfy too.